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Subject: Literature
Semester: 2
Period: 4
Week: 20
Week 20
Grade: 12
Period: 4
Date: Week 20
Duration: 45 minutes
Topic/Title of Literary Work: Tshimo (Drama)
Sub-topic/Focus: Act 7 – Toka
Shadows lurk closest where trust once lived. Sefu succumbs to temptation, secrecy poisons the group, and friendship begins to fray under the weight of suspicion.
Materials/Resources:
- Tshimo by Adejoke Ajeyomi
- Dictionary
Links to order/pre-order the book:
- P – Probe (5–10 min)
Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and spark curiosity.
- Begin with a probing question:
- “How do secrets and temptations affect trust among friends?”
- Read a short dramatic excerpt from Act 7, Scene 1 (Sefu’s Secret Deal).
- Ask students to predict what choices the characters might make and the consequences of secrecy.
Teacher’s Role: Facilitate discussion, encourage predictions, and note emerging themes.
- E – Explore (15–20 min)
Purpose: Engage with the text actively.
- Students read or listen to excerpts from Act 7 (Scenes 1–7).
- Focus on:
- Theme: betrayal, secrecy, temptation, trust
- Characterization: inner conflict, moral dilemmas, divided loyalties
- Imagery and symbolism: shadows, darkness, documents, and field as witnesses
- Tone and tension: suspense, suspicion, fear
Methods:
- Think-pair-share: analyze scenes such as Sefu’s secret deal or Tari’s inner conflict.
- Role-play: dramatize key moments where trust is tested.
- Annotate: highlight literary devices, motifs, and symbols representing betrayal and suspense.
Student Activity: Annotate text, highlight literary devices, and discuss in pairs/groups.
- A – Analyze & Question (15–20 min)
Purpose: Develop critical thinking and deeper understanding.
- Pose higher-order questions:
- How does the author portray the tension between survival and loyalty?
- In what ways do secrecy and temptation destabilize friendships?
- How do the characters’ actions reveal moral complexity?
- Mini analytical tasks:
- Identify recurring motifs such as shadows or documents and discuss their symbolic weight.
- Analyze Sefu’s choices and Tari’s inner conflict to evaluate ethical dilemmas.
Teacher’s Role: Scaffold thinking, guide interpretations, introduce literary terms (motif, irony, internal conflict).
- R – Reflect & Relate (10–15 min)
Purpose: Connect literature to personal, social, or global contexts.
- Students reflect or discuss:
- Have you ever experienced a situation where secrecy caused tension among friends?
- Which modern societal pressures mirror the temptations and betrayals in Tshimo?
- Creative response options:
- Journal entry from the perspective of Sefu or Tari dealing with moral conflict.
- Sketch or dramatize the tension and suspicion among friends.
- L – Link & Extend (5–10 min)
Purpose: Consolidate learning and extend thinking beyond the lesson.
- Summarize key points: betrayal, temptation, secrecy, fractured trust.
- Extension tasks:
- Comparative essay: Act 6 versus Act 7, focusing on threats versus betrayal.
- Create a social media profile for Sefu showing his moral conflict.
- Oral presentation: analyze how suspicion and secrecy shape narrative tension and character dynamics.
Assessment & Feedback
- Formative: Observation during discussion, role-play performance, annotations, reflections.
- Summative: Short essay, comprehension questions, or creative project.
- Peer and self-assessment encouraged.